Facts about our Brains:

• Our neurons (brain cells) are continually wiring and rewiring themselves in relation to the environment and with new learning.
• Protective factors that, as we age, build dense networks of brain cells connections including learning new skills, physical activity and a heart-healthy diet.
• Each nerve cell has the capacity to be connected to tens of thousands of other nerve cells and can create a network of 100 trillion connections!
• The Neuromuscular Junction: Your head is connected to your body! When you exercise, nerve fibers release a chemical called acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter helpful for memory. The nerve and muscle fibers communicate with each other and acetylcholine amounts increase, which is good for enhancing memory. Dopamine, another brain chemical, is also released during exercise. Dopamine helps to regulate fine motor movement.
• When we are newly born, we create neurons at the rate of 15 million per half hour. Our brains create connections in response to to the rich interactions we make with others through communication and activity.
• Our brains are “plastic”: this means that the brain can form itself according to experience – the Greek word, ‘plastic,’ literally means molded or formed. Plasticity gives us cognition and the ability to have fluidity, or the adaptability in our thinking and problem solving as we age.
• Our brains are “elastic”: This gives our brains the energy and drive that powers muscles and gives us strength and balance.
• Inactivity is bad for your brain. Because there is a connection between muscle fibers and brain chemicals, when we do not exercise, the delicate balance between acetylcholine and the proteins that make up muscle fibers can loosen, and we end up losing neuron receptors that help with memory and other cognitive functions. So, the old adage, “use it or lose it” really is true when it comes to brain function and exercise.

More about Exercise:

• Exercise can help fend off depression. Studies show that an added benefit of exercise is a decrease in the “blues.” Depression mimics dementia in that it causes memory loss and confusion.
• With exercise, it is not a matter of “more is better.” About 30 minutes a day, which can even be broken up into 5-10 minute segments, is adequate. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park a little further away from the entrance to a building and if something is within walking distance, then walk! If you like, get a pedometer and measure the number of steps you take.

So remember, small changes make a difference. Of course, always check with your doctor before beginning an exercise regime.

Written by Carole Netherton, MS, MFTA, Program and Family Services Coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association – Eastern NC Chapter.

STAYING SHARP
Gaming for seniors!
Bloomin' Gardens - the gardening puzzle game!

 
Put your green fingers to the test! Can you keep the garden manageable?

Time to get those green fingers working and your garden under control - plants are growing faster than you can pick 'em! ...so get them in rows of five or more to clear some space. The more you clear in a single row, the more points you get.

Click to grab a plant, then click a new patch to replant it - but there must be a clear path through the garden. The game is over when your garden is completely overgrown.

BENEFITS AND LEGAL ISSUES
Don't be an april fool when it comes to you economic recovery payment
By Paul D. Barnes
Social Security Regional Commissioner in Atlanta

No one likes being the target of an April fool’s prank.

If you’re receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, don’t let anyone fool you regarding your special one-time recovery payment of $250 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.To make sure no one does, we’ll state this as clearly as possible:

• All Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who are eligible for the special one-time recovery payment will have their payment issued in May;
• The payment is automatic; no action is required on your part; and
• There are no requests to make, no applications to complete and no fees to pay.

If you receive a visit, call or email from anyone claiming to want to help you obtain your payment, be skeptical. Do not pay anyone to help you receive your payment. And do not reveal any of your personal information to them, such as your full name, date of birth, or Social Security number. If someone requests this information for this purpose, it’s more likely they’re “out to get you” than out to get your payment for you.

In addition to people who receive Social Security and SSI benefits, people who receive benefits from Veterans Affairs and the Railroad Retirement Board will receive one-time payments of $250. Note, however, that only one payment of $250 will be made per person, regardless of any combination of benefits that may be received.

How will your recovery payment be made? The same way that your regular monthly payments are made. People with direct deposit will receive their payments electronically. Those who receive paper checks will receive their payments in the mail. People who receive regular payments through the new Direct Express debit card will receive their one-time payments through the card. We will send your one-time payment separately from your Social Security or SSI benefit.

To assist in processing the payments as efficiently as possible, please do not contact Social Security — unless you have not received your payment by June 4. More information is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/payment and will be updated as needed.

Rest assured that your special one-time recovery payment will be sent to you automatically. And if it’s not received by June 4, there’s only one place you need to contact: Social Security, at your local office, or 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

To learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit www.recovery.gov.

To learn more about Social Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

FINANCIAL FORUM
Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help Available for Low-Income Beneficiaries
By Tracy Willard, Publisher of the Triad Edition

Do you ever wonder how you will pay your medical expenses? Do you need more money for things like prescription drugs, electricity bills or food? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions and you are a Medicare beneficiary, there may be help.

Medicare Savings Programs can assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries with out-of-pocket expenses associated with Medicare. “This assistance is available to many North Carolinians who aren't even aware of it," said Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. "SHIIP can help people with Medicare understand what they are qualified to receive."

However, the application for these programs must be made through your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office in the county in which you reside.

Those who qualify often have their Medicare Part B premium paid - a total savings of $1,156.80 a year! Individuals who qualify by having the least amount of income, receive the highest level of benefits. Many Medicare beneficiaries are surprised to learn that a couple drawing as much as $1,575 per month or an individual drawing $1,170 per month in income may be eligible to receive some financial assistance.

To qualify for these programs a Medicare beneficiary must meet certain income and resource/asset level requirements. Income includes monthly earnings, Social Security and Veterans' benefits, disability payments, cash contributions, retirements and pensions, etc. Resources and assets include the value of items that the person owns, such as cash, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts, cash value of a life insurance policy, the value of a second car, boats and any real property that is not the primary residence and does not produce income. Resources do not include appliances and other household furnishings, clothing or other personal items like jewelry. Assets excluded from the evaluation process are: $4,000 in cash for individuals and $6,000 for couples, a home, all property attached to the home, personal belongings, one vehicle and irrevocable burial contracts and plots.

Applicants must apply for these programs through their local Department of Social Services. Then a social worker will evaluate your income, resources and assets to determine if you qualify. The income and resource limits increase on April 1 of each year. Even if you have applied for assistance and did not qualify, you may apply again as your income and resources/assets may now fit into the specified range. The number for your county's Department of Social Services can be found in your local telephone book or through the SHIIP office at 1-800-443-9354.

Individuals who qualify for these programs are automatically qualified to receive what is called Extra Help with their Medicare Part D plans at the 100 percent level. This means they will pay a reduced co-pay of $2.40 for generic drugs and $6 for name-brand drugs, as well as, lower monthly premiums. This Extra Help is also referred to as the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) program.

People with Medicare who have higher incomes can still file an application for Extra Help with their Part D plans, but the application must be filed with the Social Security Administration. The income and asset limits for Extra Help with a Part D plan are $1,300 per month with assets up to $11,990 if you are single, and $1,750 per month with assets up to $23,970 if you are married. The SHIIP office can assist you with applying online for the Extra Help program through the Social Security Administration Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov. Medicare beneficiaries may also apply online themselves or contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

SHIIP has volunteers in all 100 counties who offer one-on-one counseling and provide free, unbiased information about Medicare, Medicare supplements, Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage and health plan options and long-term care insurance through its toll free number. To contact SHIIP, call 1-800-443-9354 or visit www.ncshiip.com.